The World's 20 Most Impressive Hotels

The world's most impressive hotels are far more than a place to crash. Some are underwater. Some bathed in ice, perched atop mountains, or awash in pure opulence. If you've got the cash to book a room, these 20 lodgings will blow your mind.

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Emirates Palace - Abu Dahbi, UAE

At a price tag of more than $3 billion to build, there's plenty to gawk over at the Emirates Palace. Maybe you'll fancy the marble imported from 13 different countries—you never can find that perfect marble in just one place—or the 1,000 crystal chandeliers. Maybe you'll want the private marina, pools, or fountains. Of course, when a palace-claiming hotel of nearly 400 rooms also has a white-sand beach, there's not much else you can do to top that.

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The Manta Resort - Pemba Island, Tanzania

The three levels of the floating rooms of the Manta Resort in Tanzania offer wildly different experiences. The top level allows visitors a sun-bathed experience of a lounge deck. With sun by day and views of the stars by night, the area screams for the enjoyment of the sky. The 360-degree views of the middle level allows for views of the fish, the sun or your bed, while the lowest level dips below the water's surface. The underwater room includes a nighttime spotlight so you have 24/7 viewing of the squid, coral, octopus, and plenty more.

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First World Hotel and Plaza - Genting Highlands, Malaysia

The First World Hotel and Plaza in Genting Highlands, Malaysia, is so much more than its 7,351 rooms (not that it needed to be). As the world's largest hotel in terms of number of rooms—it edges The Venetian in Las Vegas for the title—the two towers have standard, deluxe, deluxe triple, superior deluxe and world club rooms. Below the hotel's rooms sits the 500,000-square-foot plaza portion of the property with a 20th Century Fox World theme park, entertainment stages, a video game park, cinemas, a shopping mall, casinos, and dining.

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Burj Al Arab Hotel - Dubai, UAE

You've seen this picture so many times you can probably name the location. But imagine taking your private chopper to the heliport atop the 1,000-foot-tall hotel and then sliding right into a game of tennis on the hovering courts. Once you enter your room, expect a suite with stunning views in multiple directions, all the extravagance you'd expect from a famed Dubai location. When it's time to head out on the town, enjoy the ride in a chauffeured Rolls Royce.

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The Venetian - Las Vegas, USA

Really, this entry pretty much encompasses all of Las Vegas' extreme hotel options. The Venetian, complete with The Palazzo, boasts the largest of them all with over 7,000 rooms. The 36-story hotel designed in Italian architectural style includes a Guggenheim museum installation and opera house. But let's not skip the MGM Grand & Signature with its 6,700-plus room in a 30-story tower that includes an arena and shopping centers and restaurants in The Signature portion of the property. Pretty much the same size, the City Center complex includes the Aria Sky Suites with some of the best views on the Strip.

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Ashford Castle - Lough Corrib, Ireland

You've always wanted to stay in a castle, right? How about one that the Guinness family—yeah, that Guinness family—took over in the 1800s and enhanced by turning the grounds into 26,000 acres of beauty and restoring the most run-down portions of a venue that was started in the 1200s. A luxury castle that turned into a hotel around 1900 has all the modern amenities mixed with the famed pastimes of yesteryear, including horse riding, clay shooting, archery, fishing, and falconry. Yes, falconry.

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Mardan Palace Hotel - Antalya, Turkey

Maybe if you get up early enough you can swim in one of the largest swimming pools anywhere in Europe without much crowding, as the Mardan Palace Hotel swimming hole in Turkey can host over 1,000 guests at any point. But if the ginormous pool gets too full for your fancy, check out the white-sand beach flown in from Egypt, the gold leaf decorations, or a sunken aquarium that will make you want to snorkel.

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Kakslauttanen Hotel - Kakslauttanen, Finland

Sleeping under the stars sure provides an element of intrigue, but how about sleeping under the Northern Lights? That is what the Kakslauttanen Hotel in the far-reaches of northern Finland is all about. Located 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle, the hotel uses glass igloos to serve as ceilings, allowing visitors a complete view of the impressive sky. Along with the views, enjoy the world's largest snow restaurant before heading to your bed simply to gaze upward toward the magnificence of the sky.

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Kelebek Cave Hotel - Göreme, Turkey

The locals call the natural ash formations fairy chimneys. The Kelebek Cave Hotel incorporates the formations into its 36-room hotel resting on the remnants of ash from Mount Erciyes, a volcano that exploded centuries ago. The wind and rain have carved out the chimneys that include ancient uses, such as a chapel for monks. To get a fresh view of your nightly accommodations, take a traditional hot air balloon ride over the "chimney forests" of the area.

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De Glase Ice Hotel - Quebec, Canada

You can find many an ice hotel, even in Quebec, but the De Glase Ice Hotel brings in high-level sculptors to recreate themed rooms, an ice bar, and an ice slide every January through March. With all the amenities made of ice—chandeliers to dinnerware—don't fret about staying in the just-above-freezing temperature, as you will rest under some arctic-down blankets. If you want to get out from under the cold environment and experience a different kind of cold, head out on the snowshoeing trails.